


Things Fall Apart

by Alishatheninth



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Korra/Asami Sato, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29858664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alishatheninth/pseuds/Alishatheninth
Summary: Canon divergence from events at the end of season 1 of Legend of Korra; although Asami, Iroh and Bolin take down the airbase, the Equalists win in the city. Asami finds herself trying to stop the situation going further downhill.Attempt at a vaguely humorous Amon-wins AU in which the two sides ultimately find common ground.
Relationships: Amon/Lieutenant (Avatar), Asami Sato & Hiroshi Sato, Bolin & Asami Sato, Iroh II & Asami Sato, Korra & Mako (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. But We Won The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the last episode of season 1 of Legend of Korra. Asami, Iroh II and Bolin have taken over and mostly destroyed the secret Equalist airbase and taken everyone there - including Asami's father Hiroshi - prisoner. Now they are just waiting for news from the city, where their friends Korra and Mako had been planning to fight Amon, the leader of the Equalists. They are joined by the last airbenders, and there are dumplings.
> 
> It doesn't go according to plan, but Asami has options and she's not afraid to use them to rescue Korra. Oh, and Mako.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and concrit welcome. I'm writing this purely for fun, but I'd love to improve.

"Run away with me" said Asami Sato, looking deep into Iroh II's golden eyes. "Leave all this mess. We can go to my family's estate on Ember Island. Get married there." She folded him into a passionate kiss.

Iroh struggled and harrumphed. "Well, marriage might be a bit quick. But we could definitely, er, have a honeymoon..."

Asami fixed him with steely green eyes. "That wasn't what you said last night" she said coldly. "I have betrayed my father and fought with you. Doesn't that accelerate our relationship?"

"And you will be rewarded... er, couldn't we have this conversation in bed?" Iroh pleaded. "You can't just expect a nonbender to marry into the Fire Nation royal family! There are protocols!"

"A nonbender? That's all you think of me as?" Asami pulled back.

"You are a nonbender! It's not your fault! This is all going too fast!" Iroh's voice became whiny and angry.

"That wasn't what you said last night!"

"Last night was my first chance to get laid in months, Asami! You have to understand -"

"I understand two firebenders have treated me like dirt in a week" snarled Asami. "I wish I'd joined my father and Amon when I had the chance. I wish I'd never met any of you. I wish none of you had ever been born, and I'd still have a mother." She stormed off.

Hiroshi Sato, Asami's father, locked in a prison cell on the other side of the wall, strained to hear more but they were too far away.

**24 hours earlier**

"So Korra and Mako will have taken down Amon by now, right" said Bolin happily, rummaging through the pantry of the secret Equalist airbase they'd trashed. "How do we know when to go back to town and join the party?"

"I could go down and scout" said Iroh. He raised a telescope. "Hmmm, the mask is still on the statue of Aang on the island. Wouldn't someone take it down if they won? How did the Equalists get it up there anyway? Who even makes massive masks?"

"Must have been an Equalist community project" said Asami absently, taking the telescope from him and looking worriedly down at Republic City and Yue Bay. 

"I've got it!" Bolin declared happily. They swung round on him. "I knew they had to be keeping miso in here somewhere. Anyone for soup?"

  
  


"Maybe we should phone" said Asami. "Air Temple Island? The police station?"

"But if Korra hasn't regained control of the city, that will give us away" mused Iroh. "Maybe they're still fighting."

"Should I feed your dad?" Bolin asked. "Shame about him being an Equalist and all but we don't want him to starve."

"How much food do we have?" Asami asked.

"We did have lots of noodles, some seaweed and dried fish as well as vegetables and miso" Bolin offered. "But Pabu and I were hungry. Now there's mostly flour. Anyone know how to make dumplings?" The other two, offspring of wealthy parents, just stared at him blankly.

"OK, don't feed my father, but would you mind bringing him some water?" Asami asked. "I just can't face him yet."

Suddenly, the phone on the wall rang. Asami and Iroh looked at one another. "You answer it. They'll recognise my voice" said Asami.

"And mine" said Iroh.

The earthbender picked it up. "Hello! Bolin here!" he announced. "Yes I'm at the secret airbase in the mountains! Asami and Iroh and I took it over from the Equalists! Who are you?"

The line crackled. "Stay where you are" said the stranger's voice. "We'll come to get you."

Another voice, deeper and more frightening, took over the line. Bolin squeaked with recognition and terror. "If Sato has been harmed, the consequences to you will be exceptionally bad."

"Yes, Amon sir" said Bolin, and dropped the phone back onto the hook in fright.

The three stared at one another. "Shoot" said Asami. "Korra and Mako... didn't make it."

They all walked together to the viewpoint overlooking the bay again. The city seemed so peaceful, from a distance. Iroh, desperately scanning with the telescope, turned it on the main road up. Two orange and yellow spots moved up it slowly towards them. He pointed them out.

"Not Equalists" said Asami. 

The two dots turned out to be two exhausted girl children, dressed in dirty orange and yellow clothes. "Ikki! Jinora!" Bolin yelled, and hugged them tightly. "What happened? We thought you left the city days ago with Pema and Tenzin!"

"They caught us" said the older girl, Jinora. "I don't know how. Lin did so much to help us escape. They electrocuted us and locked us up and they were going to - going to take our bending. Then Korra was there and there was fighting all over the arena -"

"I airbended Amon's Lieutenant in the bottom" declared the younger, Ikki. "He fell over." She sobered. "Then he got up and electrocuted Meelo."

"We escaped in the confusion and managed to fly away from the roof" said Jinora. "It was really close. But I think we were the only ones. Dad, Korra, Mako, Meelo.... I don't think they escaped".

"What do we do now?" Iroh asked. 

  
  


Jinora knew how to make dumplings. They had nothing but mountain herbs to put in them, but it gave structure to their strategy meeting.

"You should run" said Asami, crimping inexpertly. "You can't let Amon catch you here."

"We could go to the Fire Nation" agreed Iroh, struggling with an overfilled dumpling. "I can keep you all safe. Including you, Asami."

"I'm not leaving Republic City" said Asami. "I have to rescue Mako and Korra. And it's not like Amon can take my bending."

"They'll never let you close to their prisons" mused Iroh. "Come with me. We'll get the Fire Nation, go to war, rescue the Avatar."

"They'd never let me close... unless they thought I was back on their side" said Asami. "Can I convince Father I switched back?"

"Why would he believe you?" Jinora asked. "You're dating Mako. Iroh - we need this pot of water to boil and keep simmering, and you're terrible at making dumplings anyway."

"Actually, Mako and I split up" said Asami. "He has feelings for Korra and, well, who wouldn't." 

"Are you mad about that?" Ikki asked. "Are you jealous like you want to poison him? Are you going to shut yourself in a monastery?"

"No" said Asami firmly. "Sometimes people try out relationships, but realise for various reasons that they are better off friends. I'm not going to hurt Mako."

"Would Hiroshi believe you would?" Iroh suggested.

"I have an idea" said Bolin. "It really hurts when you like someone and they don't like you back...."

"Enough to make them swap sides?" Iroh asked.

"According to my books, yes" said Jinora.   
  
They ate herb dumplings in thoughtful silence for a while.

  
  


After acting out the breakup scene with Asami for Hiroshi's benefit, Iroh led the group to the edge of the base. Apart from Asami, each had a backpack containing the limited supplies available. "I'll give you a couple of hours headstart, until it's dark" Asami told them. "Then I'll have to pretend to rescue my father. If someone comes from the city before that, he'll get suspicious."

"We'll head for Ba Sing Se" Iroh promised. "If you get Mako and Korra out, you can come and find us there. But hopefully we'll be able to raise an army - or at least get transport back to the Fire Nation to ask my mother for help."  
  
"Don't do anything dangerous" pleaded Bolin. "If it looks like they're onto you, just spend your days swimming in the pool and eating cuisine in the mansion. I definitely would if I was an heiress."

Asami hugged them all, and watched as they hiked away. Then she sat, watching the road, until the sun had set, and stood up and walked back into the makeshift prison block.  
  
  
  
"Dad!" Asami hissed. "I'm so sorry." She jangled the keys and started unlocking all the cells. "We have to get out fast. The benders are asleep but they could wake up to take over watch duty at any minute."

Hiroshi flung his arms around her. "I'm so sorry too" he murmured. "I was so afraid I'd lost you. That I'd hurt you too badly for you to come back. It was the worst thing. Worse than being locked up."

"Shhhhh" whispered Asami, and with the small crowd of Equalists following her, moved stealthily out of of the building into the forest. "We'll have to hike down to the city." Hiroshi sighed and looked at his shiny leather shoes, and they set off. 


	2. Put Out The Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami and Hiroshi return to a now-Equalist Republic City and catch up with former airbenders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, my chapters are short. Is this annoying? Concrit is very welcome.
> 
> Technical note on canon divergence: my second half season 1 DVD for TLOK has stopped working and I've had to order another. (This really really sounds bad but honestly I only watched it 3 times!) I meant to rewatch it for continuity purposes before posting, but got overexcited and thought I remembered everything, which was unwise. Anyway: in this universe, Asami's makeup is not already on Air Temple Island (or it's been thrown away by the Equalists), and I kind of forgot an ENTIRE SECOND BATTLE FLEET which existed but didn't actually have much plot role. In this universe the other fleet is in another part of the world, with Bumi agreeing they didn't need two fleets to take down a one-city nonbender rebellion. Plus in this universe Iroh II stays at the airbase.
> 
> The third (next) chapter is the one I wrote first, but I want to establish this as a fairly non angsty universe before posting that...

"Of course the Tigerdilloes made it into the final round that year. Kano knocked the Badgermole firebender right off in the first three seconds, SWOOSH! It was awesome, that was when I became a Tigerdillo fan for life."

"I really didn't expect an Equalist to be into pro bending" said Asami politely.

"Why not?" The young man asked innocently. They were walking down through the moonlit mountains, towards the city glittering with well-lit windows. "Then there was this time Josei made a ring of fire and threw it at two of the Platypus Bears, and they dodged towards each other and hit each other and fell over, it was so funny - Josei bowed right at me, he's so elegant -"

"I just had the impression Amon wasn't a big fan" said Asami. "What with the terrorist attacks on the arena, his destruction of the winning team this year, and his implacable hatred of benders."

"Well, we can disagree on things within the movement" countered the young Equalist. "Like, you support the Fire Ferrets, right? And I support the Tigerdilloes. But we can be friends."

Asami reminded herself that she was maintaining her cover as a new convert, not getting into an argument. They were all tired from hours of walking, and the lights of the city still seemed a long way off. "How did you come to join the movement?" She asked. "Did a firebender kill your parents?" Maybe that was a bit sarcastic.

"No, that's Tai and Ghoya's story" he replied, gesturing at two of his colleagues up ahead. "My sister Cleo and I were nonbenders in a farming family of earthbenders. So our parents declared our earthbending brother their heir, gave us each a year's living expenses, and sent us off to find work in Republic City."

"That sounds terrible" said Asami sympathetically. 

"We both found work with Future Industries, which was ok" he concluded. "Cleo's an engineer, I work in the canteen. It's a good job but Cleo decided we should also join the Equalists and fight for our rights. She says social structures need to change to accomodate physical power disparities in a technologically advancing world."

It did rather make sense that this man wasn't the big thinker in the family. "I'm just going to check on my dad" said Asami, and let him pull ahead. Hiroshi Sato wasn't used to this much walking, especially on an empty stomach. He was struggling gamely on though. "Are you ok, Papa?" she asked.

"I'll make it" Hiroshi replied fiercely.

"Is it true the Equalists won't ban pro bending?" Asami enquired conversationally.

"I bloody well hope they do" he replied. "But there's not exactly a written manifesto yet. We'll see what Amon's plan is."

"Why didn't you tell me about the Equalists before, Papa? I might have been less shocked if I'd been introduced to it more gently."

Hiroshi looked sad. "First, I wanted you to have a childhood unspoiled by scheming and secrets. That's what your mother would have wanted. Then you became a huge pro bending fan and - there never seemed to be a good time. I figured you'd grow out of it and we could talk." He paused. "Also - Amon's on our side, but he's not a nice man. I wanted to keep you out of it until the nasty parts were done."

"Is he a bloodbender like Korra says?" Well, it was worth a try. Korra's big plan was to expose him to his followers. Maybe it could still work.

Hiroshi looked uncomfortable. "He'll do anything to make the revolution succeed. His powers - spirit or otherwise - are working for us. Without them, without him, we'd still be a few lunatics raving in parks and meeting in secret chambers."

Ah. At least one follower didn't care. Asami linked her arm with her father's in a way intended to suggested understanding, and they trekked painfully on.

There was a shout. "Airship from the city!" the hiking Equalists yelled to their comrades, and it slowly descended towards the road, its captain leaning out to greet them. 

"The airbase we've just come from is smashed up" explained Hiroshi to the captain. "There's not much hurry to get up there, especially if you haven't got the resources to take on a couple of benders." The captain looked offended at that, but agreed to give them all a lift down to the base on Air Temple Island. 

As the airship lifted into the air again with them on board, the lights of the city flickered and went out. "Must be a power cut" muttered the captain. 

Asami noticed that a few points - Air Temple Island, buildings which might be the Sato mansion and the Future Industries factories - were still lit up. "Did you plan for this?" she asked her father. "Were you expecting the grid to go down after the revolution?"

"I knew our power supply couldn't depend on ready availability of hired lightning benders, however the revolution went" said Hiroshi. "We have diesel generators. And fuel for a couple of months."

"What can we do for the rest of the city?" Asami asked.

Hiroshi said nothing. The airship swooped down through the dark, and eventually set them down on Air Temple Island, which still had electricity. 

"You're back early" called a female Equalist guard from the ground, cheerfully. "Get cold feet?"

"Found the Satos" said the captain. "What should we do with them?"

"A shower, a meal and a bed would be nice" said Hiroshi. "Possibly we shouldn't head back to the mansion tonight."

They followed the guard into the buildings, to rooms that were apparently free.

After showering and dressing in one of the Equalist uniforms laid out, Asami caught her own reflection's eye in a ornate Air Culture mirror. The woman looking back at her was slightly blotchy-faced, her lips pale, her eyes dark with exhaustion. Asami never went out like this. Since she was very small, she'd had trouble making friends - perhaps Hiroshi had never encouraged her to befriend her schoolmates, perhaps they'd avoided her as a useless nonbender - and she'd used makeup like armour. Well, she'd have to do without it now until she got back to the mansion or found a shop. She hadn't seen many Equalists wearing lipstick, though perhaps that was just because of the masks. Maybe she could get a mask - it would serve the same purpose, and might be less trouble than eyeliner.

She left her plain room and followed her nose to the communal eating facility, with a few people sitting in small groups, eating and chatting in a surprisingly relaxed way. Apparently the Air Acolyte cooks had remained at their posts, as the food was vegetarian. She served herself rice and fried tofu with onions and sesame seeds, and looked for a bench.

A haggard older man in plain dark clothes was rocking a tiny baby while a woman ate determinedly next to him. "Tenzin! Pema!" Asami exclaimed, and went to sit next to them. "You're... here! I almost didn't recognise you without the airbender clothes... oh." That was tactless.

"I'm not an airbender any more" said Tenzin sadly.

"Um. Are you ok?" Asami asked awkwardly. "Congratulations on the baby! She - he? is very sweet!"

"We're prisoners in our home and two of our children are missing" growled Tenzin. "And you're flirting around free and dressed as an Equalist."

"And we share a room at night, so Tenzin finally learns what it's like to sleep with a newborn instead of going back to his own wing of the building at bedtime" said Pema, almost gaily, finishing her food and taking the baby back. "This is Rohan. He's really quiet and good at suckling, at least compared with Meelo and Ikki."

Asami smiled nervously at Pema and looked around. Nobody appeared to be listening in, but it seemed unlikely that she could just chat to the ex-Councilman and be ignored. "I'm sure Ikki and Jinora are ok" she said, staring into Tenzin's eyes and begging him to understand that she couldn't exactly declare her allegiance to Korra's team in the middle of an Equalist canteen. "I'm sure they escaped the city and are traveling safely with some responsible adults." Well, with Iroh and Bolin, anyway, but hopefully Jinora would look after them.

Just then there was a minor commotion. "Mum! Dad!" a small, repulsive child cried boisterously, shouldering his way towards them.

"Meelo! Shouldn't you be in bed?" Pema scolded. 

"Oh, turns out _three_ of our children were missing." Tenzin rolled his eyes.

"I'm a messenger! I took the boat from Council with the guards" said Meelo proudly. "I have a message for you" he held it out to Tenzin, and bowed to Asami. "Hi beauteous but apparently treacherous lady."

Tenzin took the note, opened it, read it, and let it fall onto the table in front of him. It said "Please, for the second time of asking, keep your son away from Council meetings. - A."

"Meelo, go to bed" said Tenzin wearily. "I'll come with you and read you a book." They left.

Asami and Pema found themselves looking at one another across the baby's head. "Can I get you some tea?" asked Asami, seeing a large urn on the serving counter. Pema nodded, and Asami brought them both steaming cups.

"So I have a lot of catching up to do, I've been... out of town for a few days" said Asami. "And maybe you're not the best person to ask but - what happened back here in Republic City?"


End file.
